Warmth. Gentle, flickering light, dancing over the leaves and the earth and the rocks, painting them all in countless shades of red and yellow and orange.

"—simply had to meet you. You see, my little friend here told me that you were rather special."

Voices. Voices interrupting the complex perfection of the fire's light.

"Don't tell anyone I have that, by the by, it's supposed to be a secret."

Words. Useless, pointless words.

Shock. Realisation. This is the Judging Place. It exists! Despite my doubt I have come here! Finally, finally I can—

"There's a certain someone in my life who would be more than a little unhappy to find out that I possessed such a toy."

Further realisation. Deeper shock. This is not the Judging Place. This is the forest outside of Sufferance. These are not Judges. These are normal people.

Somehow, I am not dead.

Somehow, I am alive.

"But, oh, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself yet. I shall do so now, then."

Memories, then. Of faces. Of voices. These voices said words that were not useless. Sometimes the words were not important, but rather what lay behind the words. Beyond them.

Naz's head rolled to the left. He could see everything. The two men. The girl, tied to a tree. I know her, he thought. That is the girl who met me when I was dead, the girl who showed me the way back.

Why is she tied to a tree?

Why am I tied to a tree?

Something is very wrong here.

"My name is Edward Swift."

The girl was silent. From somewhere her name came to Naz: Lina.

"Come now," said the man with useless words; Edward. "I was expecting more of a reaction than that. What's your name?"

Lina didn't reply.

"Fine then," said Edward, a little pout to his voice. "You don't want to tell me your name. I can understand that. You're playing hard to get, which I appreciate. Perhaps you could tell me something else, then."

Edward stepped closer to Lina, still smiling, always smiling.

"What's your power? What can you do?"

Lina just looked at him.

"Because I know you can do something—yes, I do. I'd say Pyre there's a wimpy little pure adept, but that's just a guess. How about you, farm girl? Control over plants, maybe? Can you make your tomatoes oh so plump and juicy? Come on, you can tell me—or don't."

Edward's smile became just a little brighter, just a little wider. When he spoke again there was a catch of pleasure in his voice:

"That would be much more fun."

Lina remained silent.

"Oh, good."

Edward took another step towards Lina. He held up his hand, displaying it to her, turning it this way and that. There was a faint blurry glow in the air above his palm, and a low hissing.

"I'll go first, then," he said, his tone friendly. "I control fire. I've gotten this flame hot enough to melt lead before, can you imagine what it does to human flesh?"

Edward took another step towards Lina, close enough to touch. Her eyes were on him, big and bright and terrified.

"You look wonderfully scared. I'll ask again, with the hope that you don't answer: what do you control?"

Lina just stared, her whole body shaking. Naz longed to do something, to reach out to her, to somehow break his bonds and leap to her rescue, but he could do nothing. I am weak, he thought, useless, I cannot save the girl who saved me, I am worthless, I was not worth saving.

Edward was grinning at Lina now. He glanced back at Ren, who was obviously enjoying this just as much as he was.

"One final time, Ren?" he asked. Ren shrugged in response, grinning. "I think it would be best." Edward turned back to look at Lina. "One final time, so that I cannot later be accused of being unfair. What power do you have, farm girl? What do you control?"

Lina made a sound; not a squeak, not a whimper, but more a tiny, contained sob. To Naz, it sounded like nothing less than pure fear.

Edward's bright hazel eyes ran over Lina's body, searching, appraising. After a few seconds they settled on her right upper arm. He raised his hand again, the glow above his palm brighter than before, more focused, showing it to her, the light of it reflected in her terrified eyes.

"We begin," he said, and then slowly, luxuriantly, he reached towards her arm—

And screamed.

Ren stepped forward as Edward staggered back. The big man in the shadows looked up from sharpening his axe.

Lina stood, still tied to the tree, panting, almost crying, her upper arm scorched. But when Edward looked up at her, fury in his eyes, Lina's heavy breathing stopped and she looked straight back at him, and when she spoke her voice was flatly absent of fear:

"I control pain."

Edward growled, a low, very human noise.

"What the hell?" Ren yelled. "What the hell was that, you think she's like—"

"Shut up!" Edward snarled at him. He looked at Lina balefully, then he straightened and smiled, his friendly mask smoothly in place once more.

"You've just given me a challenge, pig girl," he said, his voice perfectly controlled. "I'm going to have to think about how to deal with you, so while I do that ... I'll just play with your Pyrian friend here."

Naz stiffened as Edward turned his happy eyes upon him.

"Already awake," Edward said. "That's good. Are YOU going to talk, Pyre? Please say you won't. You look far too terrified to do much more than soil yourself in any case. Feel free to do so, by the way. It wouldn't bother me a bit."

Edward walked calmly towards Naz. He didn't say anything further, simply reached out to take hold of Naz's left wrist. Naz flinched.

But there was no heat.

There was no heat!

And then it began. Gradually at first but then building, slowly, inevitably, at first a tickle and then an itch and then pain and then PAIN AND THEN PAIN—

Naz screamed. He couldn't help it, he didn't want to scream, he wanted to be strong like the girl, like Lina, but the noise came from him, like a pig, she isn't the pig girl, I am the pig boy, listen to my squealing, it is pitiful, it is pathetic, it is—

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

It was Lina who screamed now, all calm gone, all control gone, simple desperation in her voice. Edward turned to grin at her, his hand still around Naz's wrist but the heat, for now, gone.

"So the pig girl finds her squeal," he said. "I have caused you pain by giving another pain. Wonderful! Perhaps now I can ask you something relevant. Why are you here? Why Pyre? What's important here? This rat?"

Edward send a pulse of intense heat into Naz's wrist, and once more he screamed.

"NO!" Lina cried. She desperately tried to reach Naz, to find his pain, to take it into herself, but he was too far away, she couldn't do anything, and as Edward grinned at her and moved his hand to the side of Naz's face all she could do was watch—

"The statue!" she called. "We're looking for a magic statue, PLEASE DON'T!"

Edward stopped, his hand falling away from Naz's cheek, his face registering nothing but shock as he stared at Lina.

"Statue," he repeated, quietly, just before there was a flash of light and a sudden crack, and he yelled in surprise and pain and anger.

"THERE!" came Ren's voice, and he was raising his hand, there was another bright flash and an arc of lightning directed at the tree above Edward, who yelled again as it twisted back to ground through him.

"IDIOT!" he snarled even as he staggered, clutching at his side. Beside him, a small figure had fallen from the tree—Ada, Lina realised, shocked. She was stunned but already scrambling to get up, but the sound of a deep roar made her stop and look around, wide-eyed—the huge man with the axe was charging towards her. Ada shrieked as she saw him closing on her—she raised her hand and sent a spark, the lightning grounding into his shoulder with a crackling snap, but it barely slowed him, the energy almost sliding off. Desperately Ada tried again, with both hands now, falling back as she thrust them at the huge man, twin arcs of energy slamming into his chest and throwing him back—but once again he simply shook himself with a grunt and hefted his axe, the edge glinting red in the fire's light.

"JEK!"

The big man stopped and looked to the side, at Ren.

"I've never fought another lightning adept before!" Ren said, excitement clear in his voice. "You keep an eye on those two while I deal with her!"

Jek glanced at Edward—he'd recovered now and stood watching, amusement in his eyes. At Jek's asking look, he shrugged.

"Sounds entertaining," he said, before bowing to Ren. "I give you the stage ... maestro."

Ada was staring, her face pale in the firelight, her breathing rapid and somewhat pained. As Ren turned his attention to her she scrabbled away, glancing back as she found herself up against a tree.

"Come on," Ren said, laughing. "Get up, at least. Give me a little challenge."

Ada went to stand, but before she could Ren raised his hand and sent a bright blast of lightning towards her—Ada shrieked and brought her hands up, the lightning exploding around her, the power of it slamming her back against the tree. She gasped for breath even as Ren thrust his hand towards her again, another powerful blast that Ada just barely managed to deflect away from her face. She scrabbled at the tree behind her, trying to find some purchase, but before she could Ren was raising his hand once more, sending another bolt towards her with a whoop of elation. Ada brought her hand around to try to fend off the energy, but too slow, too late, and she screamed as it found its mark in her leg, both her skirt and the skin beneath burnt by the blast.

"Huh," said Ren, as he slowly walked towards Ada. "I'm really disappointed in you, little bitch. Not even a challenge."

He raised his hands. With a bright flash and twin cracks, he sent a double-bolt towards her.

Which bent in mid-air, arcing up into the sky before dissipating harmlessly.

Ada hadn't moved, was still clutching at her injured leg, crying in pain and fear.

From the forest behind her Sophia appeared, her hand outstretched, walking forward to stand in front of her wounded friend. She was panting with the effort of redirecting Ren's blast, and her eyes were wide.

"I can do that as many times as you can!" she called, her voice shaking.

Edward laughed as Ren stared at Sophia.

"Oh, PLEASE," he said. "You're already exhausted—and even IF you could match our Ren bolt-for-bolt, you'd still have Jek and I to deal with." He smiled at Sophia. "So you're a wimpy little pure adept, are you? You remind me of a boy I met earlier this year. I burnt him to the bone while he tried to redirect my heat. I know that was naughty of me, I know how rare and valuable your sort are, but I find that just makes me want to hunt you all the more fiercely. It's the rarest prey that gives the most satisfaction when it's finally brought down, after all—although honestly, I wish your kind would put up a little more of a fight. And yes, yes, I know, we're supposed to be collecting adepts, not killing them, but really ... who needs the hassle? Securing you, dragging you back to our lord and master—I can think of far more productive and entertaining uses for my time. I admit, this little policy of mine often lands me in trouble with my so-called employer, but then I rather like getting into trouble. How about you?"

There was a crack and a flash, and Edward winced as a thin bolt of lightning impacted against his cheek. Ada stared past her raised hand at him, dismay on her face.

"Obviously you've never dealt with those of us who happen to be resistant," said Edward. "But you're right. Enough talking. Jek, Ren. Let's show these pitiful wastes what power really is."

Sophia gasped and covered her face with her arms as Ren sent a bolt of energy towards her—but it was weaker than those he'd previously summoned, smaller ... and more easily controlled.

Hands shaking, Sophia lowered her arms, her breathing heavy as the ball of lightning energy hovered before her, crackling and spitting. Sophia took a ragged breath, then thrust her hands forward with a shrill cry. The lightning ball shot back towards Ren—he tried to deflect it with an angry swipe of his arm, but all he managed to achieve was to scatter the energy, sparks flying as it ground wherever it could, into him, into Edward, but mostly into Jek's axe.

The big man grunted as the sparking axe fell from his hands. He glowered down at his lost weapon, then spread his arms wide and charged Sophia.

Sophia stood her ground, still and silent. Jek's expression of simple determination changed into one of utter confusion, and then he was stumbling, and then he was tripping, and then he was falling flat on his face, skidding against the hard earth, just barely missing the huge fire in the centre of the clearing.

What now? Sophia thought, her mind suddenly clear, what can I do, what can any of us do? Ada's exhausted, wounded, I don't think she's got anything left in her, that last bolt she sent at that horrible fire user almost killed her, Lina can't fight and she's tied up anyway—

Sophia's breathing became ragged as she saw Jek getting to his feet, saw Ren wincing as he gathered energy for another strike, saw Edward walking slowly towards her, his hands glowing and his smile wide. What can I do? What can I do?

Desperately Sophia reached inside herself, gathered her fear and flung it outwards, but it wasn't enough, it wasn't strong enough, she needed more—Ada was hurt, but her pain was slippery and impossible to get a grip on, Lina was scared but behind that fear was an odd calm and THAT was no use, and the boy, the Pyrian boy, he was...

Sophia gasped. The Pyrian boy was engulfed with terror, crushed by it, a writhing mass of fear and guilt and shame that Sophia took hold of and tugged, hard, and again, it wouldn't come easily but she saw now how it COULD come away, and Jek was once more charging her and that was as good a motivation as any, and with a cry of panic and determination Sophia ripped Naz's fear from him and took it into herself.

For a moment she was frozen, couldn't do anything, then a tiny, rational part of her self took charge and forced everything out, Naz's fear mixing with her own and now tangling with the energy of the big man and the lightning user, confusing them, stopping them—but against the scarred, twisted energy of the fire user, it could not find purchase.

Sophia stumbled back as Edward advanced on her, Ada crawling back beside her. Edward's hands were raised and glowing horribly, the wide grin on his face almost demonic in the firelight. As he advanced on Sophia she reached once more within herself, trying to find anything, anything that might help, but there was nothing, nothing but useless fear and impotent frustration and—

Energy.

Pure energy.

But what good could that do?

Naz blinked.

His mind was clear, for the first time since he could remember. There were people here, people who had helped him, people who had saved him. The girl who had brought him back from death, now tied to a tree, struggling futilely against her bonds. The girl who had raised her hand to stop a priest from cutting him, now desperately crawling backwards, sobbing in pain and fear. The girl who had talked to him kindly, whose voice had cut through the shouts of the crowd and the terror he felt, now stumbling backwards as the horrible man of flame came for her.

Sophia had torn Naz's fear from him. Something else now rushed to fill the void it had left.

Before, Naz had stared at the fire in the centre of the clearing. It had been a focus for him when he was shocked beyond focus. He had stared at it without seeing, but now he saw.

Unaware that he had already burnt through his bonds, Naz raised both hands, and the power rose within him, and what had been his focus before became his focus again, and he took everything that he had, everything that he was and would ever be, and he offered it to his sole desire.

With an unholy noise the fire in the centre of the clearing exploded, covering Jek and Ren with hot sparks and chunks of burning wood. The blast did not reach Sophia and Ada, nor did it reach Lina, because Naz did not want it to.

He wanted it to reach Edward.

Flaming logs slammed into Edward's back, showers of white-hot sparks covered him, thick smoke engulfed him.

Naz walked calmly to the girl who had pulled him from death; Lina. He reached out, and he burnt through her bonds.

And then he turned, and he...

And...

Everything that Naz was came rushing back to fill him, all his fear, all his guilt, all his shame, and with these came an exhaustion like he'd never felt before, and utter confusion, and—

"RUN!" Lina screamed at him.

This, this he understood.

And as they ran, Lina half-helping, half-carrying Ada, Sophia forcing the exhaustion from her body as she stumbled along, Naz demanding action from his stiff, uncooperative legs, Edward staggered out of the rolling smoke, a horrific nightmare figure lit by the dull glow of the scattered fire.

"YES!" he roared, as they disappeared into the night, pain and rage and vengeance clouding his voice. "RUN! BECAUSE I WILL BE BEHIND YOU!"